Practical experience gained during the introduction of Digital Terrestrial Television broadcasting in the UK

1. ITU-BR INFORMATION MEETING ON RRC-04/05 Geneva, 18 - 19 September 2003 Practical experience gained during the introduction of Digital Terrestrial Television broadcasting in the UK Nigel Laflin Research Leader, Spectrum Planning, BBC R&D

2. Planning bases for DTT in the UK • 6 multiplexes to be transmitted from each DVB-T station(that is 6 UHF channels) • 80 DVB-T stations - existing analogue TV sites • ease of implementation • infrastructure costs • Multi-frequency network (MFN) • 44 channels in Bands IV and V • DVB-T maximum effective radiated power about 20 dB below that of the analogue • Shared spectrum with analogue television • interleaved network, much adjacent channel working • 8 MHz channel spacing • Planned for fixed reception, but will provide some portable reception

3. Present analogue television coverage • The broadcasters provide 4/5 national network analogue television services to a regulated minimum level of service based on using an outdoor receiving aerial at rooftop height(10 metres) • In practice, nearly all UK householdscan receive the four national network analogue services and around 80% a fifth national network • The white areas in UK indicate where there is no serviceand these are sparsely populated • Frequency channels are reused as indicated by the colour scheme

4. 200 150 number of analogue TV transmissions in UK 100 50 0 21 34 39 68 Distribution of television transmissions in Band IV/V (there is no Band III television in the UK) • The total number of television transmissions in the UK is about 6350analogue and DTT (from the 1100+ transmitting stations, plus 350 self-help schemes believed to be on-air) • So, on average, each channel is re-used 138 times throughout the UK UHF television channel

5. Present state of the UK DTT network (July 2003) Households able to receive all 6 multiplexes 72% (UK household coverage assumes ideal receiving aerials)

6. The DTT transmitter network • DTT was launched in 1998 with80 transmitting stations on-air • We shared the initial network planning with NTL in the Joint frequency Planning Project (JPP) • There have since been many small changes to the network to improve coverage • At each step, we have provided the authoritative coverage predictionsto the DTT industry • The Freeview postcode coverage database is based on coverage information we supply

7. DTT Multiplex coverage equalisation • The initial network plan provided: • Mux BBC to 81% of UK households • but Mux D (was ITV Digital)to only 64% • the ‘core’ coverage was only 56%where all 6 multiplexes could be received • Following launch, it became clear that ‘core’ coverage affected the take up of DTT • Work proceeded to equalise the coverage and to increase the transmitter powers where possible

8. Choice of DVB-T mode • The DVB-T mode that was used in the UK DTT network beforeOctober 2002 (2k, 64QAM, rate 2/3, 24 Mbit/s payload) was foundto be sub-optimum • Between the collapse of the subscription platform, ITV Digital, and the establishment of Freeview, three multiplexes were unused • In the interim period, test signals were radiated to demonstrate the relative merits of other modes (e.g. improved coverage and greater resilience against impulsive interference) • 2k, 16QAM, rate 3/4, 18 Mbit/s • 2k, 64QAM, rate 1/2, 18 Mbit/s • 2k, 16QAM, rate 2/3, 16 Mbit/s • 8k, 64QAM, rate 2/3, 24 Mbit/s • 8k, 16QAM, rate 3/4, 18 Mbit/s • The results correlated well with theory and laboratory measurements • This work contributed to the successful launch of Freeview

9. Network choicesSingle and Multi Frequency Networks (SFN/MFN) Whilst it was recognised that • SFNs can offer improved spectrum efficiency (typical saving of 1/3) • SFNs require a free VHF/UHF channel over the whole of the target service area • SFNs can give greater uniformity of coverage for portable reception, but a relatively dense network of lower-power transmitters is required in the UK • There were no free channels for regional SFNs • The prime requirement was for fixed rooftop reception • MFNs allowed DTT transmissions to be interleaved ─ making use of adjacent channels to analogue from most TV stations

10. DVB-T - interleaved planning in the UK(i.e. using planning scenario 1 from the TG 6/8 report) • DVB-T can make use of channels adjacent to analogue transmission at a given station • adjacent channel analogue/analogue transmissions interfere with each other • adjacent analogue/DVB-T transmissions can be co-sited because DVB-T is lower power (won’t interfere with analogue) and it is more rugged (analogue won’t interfere with DVB-T) • We have used adjacent channels extensively in our UK plan • Nevertheless, not all DVB-T channels can be located adjacent to the analogue service - other channels had to be found to provide 6 multiplexes at some stations • Other channels may give different coverage resulting in unequal coverage between multiplexes Note: it is not possible to achieve universal DTT coverage whilst the analogue network remains in service

11. Channels used at a single transmitting station • Most of the channels are used in groups of 4 for the 4 national analogue services (BBC One, BBC Two, ITV 1 and ‘Channel 4’) • The ‘Five’ service was planned separately (and much later) and is accommodated mainly in Channel 35 and Channel 37 • Each analogue service or DTT multiplex requires one frequency channel so some transmitting stations radiate 11 different television transmissions (others fewer, and some even more than 11)

12. Coverage of the London transmitter (Crystal Palace) to roof-top aerials present analogue 1000 kW ERP present digital10 kW ERP Future digital ? 100 kW ERP

13. = + DTT Plans Co-ordination of DTT after Chester 97 • The UK had rules on which to base our negotiations with European neighbours • Other countries started planning DVB-T services – the UK could now make bilateral agreements on a station for station basis • Nevertheless, Chester 97 rules are too strict to allow the UK and its neighbours achieve their required coverage • Relaxations have been agreed bilaterally and detailed planning methods adopted to achieve the desired objectives including terrain based predictions and complicated antenna designs

14. Negotiations required Correspondence only No co-ordination is required with the remaining countries Co-ordination of UK DVB-T with neighbouring countries

15. Some lessons learned • Neighbouring countries will want equitable access to the broadcast bands for DTT • New agreements between countries are required on planning criteria and equitable access • Analogue viewers are not as susceptible to DTT interference as considered in the original planning process • Bilateral/Multilateral negotiations and agreements between countries, based on detailed planning, can resolve most of the co-ordination issues • A detailed database of coverage is required so that viewers can find out where DTT reception is possible • Detailed antenna patterns are a key element in planning the introduction of DTT transmissions – moreover, measurements are necessary to confirm antenna patterns and radiated powers

16. Radiation patterns measurement – examples of problem antennas before and after remedial work Incorrect phasing Antenna aligned on the wrong bearing Half of antenna built upside down

17. The UK Government’s ‘vision’ for a digital future • The Government has not specified explicitly what it expects to be in place before analogue television can be switched off, but it expects: • digital coverage (of one form or another) to match thepresent coverage of public service analogue television • affordable digital receiving equipment‘accessible’ to 95% of consumers • switch over to occur between 2006 and 2010 • The Government has issued a ‘Digital Television Action Plan’ which has mandated the setting up of a spectrum planning group • to produce plans that would allow ‘DTT only use of the spectrum’ (bands IV and V) • The Government acknowledges that switch over will be a sequencein time with geographical phasing • The likely end result will be a mix of different platforms, although the terrestrial platform will be a principal concern because most viewers still rely on it

18. Digital Radio: T-DAB networks in Band III • UK has 7 'frequency blocks', using 12.5 MHz of radio spectrum in VHF Band III, from 217.5 to 230 MHz • There are more than 300 digital services available on more than 30 national, regional and local multiplexes. In London there are now 49 services available • BBC national (SFN) coverage is >65% of the population and is being extended to 85% by 2004 • Digital One claim 85% national (SFN) coverage with their present 72 stations BBC national DAB SFN network by 2004

19. Concluding comments • The UK has launched a DVB-T network which has been in operation since 1998 – there are now (July 2003) over 1.5 million receivers in use • By July 2003 DTT ‘Freeview’ boxes became Britain’s fastest selling consumer product with over a million sold - no other item, including the mobile phone and the DVD player, has sold so many so quickly • The UK is now considering future developments and new service propositions • We are investigating reception by portable televisions with set-top antennas • We are developing our frequency plans for the transition to all-digital − the results are expected by the end of 2004 • Finding the means to achieve analogue switch-off is our prime objective • It is considered than a new agreement and associated frequency plan for digital terrestrial broadcasting is required to achieve this objective

20. The End thank you for your attention www.bbc.co.uk/rd